New Cougar Cheer Coach hiredThe Cougar Cheerleaders will be led by newly appointed Head Coach Alicia Vise. Coach Vise comes to Columbus State with her B.A. in Political Science from Northern Kentucky University, and she has coached and competed on cheerleading and dance teams throughout high school and college.

"I look forward to working with the men and women who cheer for Columbus State basketball games and for general college spirit needs," said Vise. "Tryouts will be the first opportunity for CSCC students to get involved in our high-energy program. I am looking forward to having fun and spirit at all games."

Tryouts for the 2007–08 basketball season cheer squad will be held on September 24, 25 and 26. Students will be required to attend all three days’ tryouts. Full-time student status is necessary. For more information, students should contact Coach Vise at ext.3673.

Lee Martin

Visiting Authors series presents Pulitzer finalist to speak on creative writingThe Columbus State Visiting Authors Workshops 2007–08 will present a session by Lee Martin, a 2006 Pulitzer Award finalist and the director of Creative Writing at Ohio State University.

His session is titled “If It Doesn’t Matter to the Writer: The Art of Urgency in Creative Writing.” The workshop will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, October 6 in the lower level of Nestor Hall Seminar Rooms. The workshop is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Clayton Cormany, Communication Skills Department, at ext. 5377.

Hammond, Columbus State's setter, led the Cougars to three conference wins on the week, defeating Sinclair, Cuyahoga, and Lakeland Community Colleges.

Michelle had an astounding 109 assists on the week, averaging 10.9 assists per game. She also totaled 20 digs, 4 aces, 4.5 blocks and 5 kills, leading the Lady Cougars to their best start since the 2004 season.

New voice mail system to begin in OctoberOn October 4 Columbus State will replace the current voice mail system with a unified communications system called CallXpress, manufactured by Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc.

Below are instructions for setting up your new mailbox before October 4 (you will call 2555 beginning October 4).

If your mailbox number is the same as the extension number showing on your phone’s display (left side):

Dial 2950.

When the system answers, put in “0000” for your initial security code.

Now follow the prompts to set up your new security code, name recording, and greeting.

If your mailbox number is different than the extension number showing on your phone’s display (left side):

Dial 2950

When the system answers, press * # and then enter your four digit.mailbox number.

Type in 0000 for the initial security code.

Now follow the prompts to set up your new security code, name recording, and greeting.

If you are calling from a phone outside the campus phone system:

Dial (614) 287-2950.

When the system answers, press the # key and enter your four-digit mailbox number.

Type in 0000 for the initial security code.

Now follow the prompts to set up your new security code, name recording, and greeting.

A quick reference guide and a tutorial are located on the Intranet home page, under “What’s New on Campus.” There will also be four training sessions on how to use the new voice mail system on the following dates:

Call Paul Owens at ext. 5667 to register. Online registration is not available at this time.

Child Development Center has openings for pre-schoolers, toddlersColumbus State’s highly rated Child Development Center currently has openings for 10 children in the pre-school (3–5 years old) program, as well as several openings in the toddler program (19 months–3 years old). The program is open to the general public, but Columbus State students and employees have first opportunity to enroll their children. For more information about the Columbus State Child Development Center, please contact the center director Jennifer Perkins at ext. 3600.

Classroom makeup test pilot program begins Oct. 2This Autumn Quarter, the new “Stop and Drop” makeup test pilot program will be offered to all faculty on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Mathematics Department Conference Room. The program runs through November 28.

The pilot program offers a no-waiting policy—faculty bring the student and the exam for testing to Davidson Hall, Room 048. The makeup pilot is for students who were not able to take a test due to uncontrollable circumstances. Faculty will complete a Classroom Makeup Form, and the student must have identification. This program does not replace the regular process for makeup exams given in the College Testing Center.

If you have any questions about this pilot program, please contact Karen Payne-Robertson, at ext. 2478.

“Discounted Dreams” playing now in the ERC

Community colleges are the fastest growing—and some say most vital—segment of American higher education, offering a staggering array of classes and job training to nearly 13 million students nationwide. Today these institutions are responding to more challenges than ever, and yet, despite many remarkable success stories, they are failing to graduate even half of those who come.

In "Discounted Dreams," you'll meet a single mother who wants to be a veterinarian, a young art student who hopes to transfer to a 4-year university, a carpenter who needs to find a new career, and a former gang member who is trying to turn his life around. All four have pinned their hopes on community college. How will they fare? Tune in to find out.

The ERC will be running this compelling, PBS video on a continuous basis in the North Gallery area during the first weeks of the quarter.

Stumpp named Pres-Elect to Research Administrators group

Susan Stumpp

Susan Stumpp, grants coordinator, was elected to the position of President-Elect of the Ohio Chapter of the Society of Research Administrators (SRA). In this role she will have primary responsibility for planning the chapter meeting for 2008, which will be held in Columbus.

The Society of Research Administrators International is a nonprofit association dedicated to the education and the professional development of research administrators, as well as the enhancement of public understanding of the importance of research and its administration. In predominantly undergraduate institutions like Columbus State, research administration translates to the management of academic and federal grants and contracts for sponsored programs.

Stumpp has been in the research administration field for more than six years and is a member of the National Council for University Research Administrators (NCURA).